As the group in Temecula was winding down and we were discussing what had transpired, one of the members noted that we had a great list of things for others to do…
It was almost as if the room had suddenly been focused.
This member went on — In all probability, most organizations have very few people that do most if not all of the work. This is particularly true in groups like the NPA and IPI. If you look at the members, you find that even at the board level, virtually all the true work falls in an energized few. This is also true of the professional staff.
These that lists of things they do daily, and the list grows and folks on the board or in the membership continue to task them with more and more to do. Their group of tasks begins to become overwhelming and they begin to have problems.
Instead of people who are complaining about things taking some of the burden off the working few, they simply increase the burden. Is it any wonder that some requests are simply ignored, or given lip service. Ever call the police on a Saturday night? They are deluged with problems and you are simply adding another to their list. Lets face it, that dog that has been barking for the past six months is not something they are going to drop everything to fix, particularly if you could have fixed it simply with a quiet word with you neighbor.
Our group, in the final few minutes of our meeting, began to crystallize on trying to do some things rather than just create lists for others. Over the next few months you will begin to see some activity that will be more than simply suggestions but will be actions that we will take to assist. Hopefully the Temecula Group’s reports to the industry will be a bit more clear, and more positive and proactive in our approach.
JVH
